Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion
By Alexandra Heilbron on August 31, 2009 | 27 Comments
Walt Disney announced this morning that they’re in the process of buying Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. Once the deal goes through, Disney will take over ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters, including Spider-Man, Captain America, The Hulk and the X-Men. Both Disney and Marvel have approved the deal, but before the deal is finalized, they need the backing of Marvel shareholders and competition authorities. Under the terms of the agreement, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. “We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Disney president and chief executive Robert Iger said in a statement. “We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.” Marvel chief executive Ike Perlmutter (who is also the company’s largest shareholder) said, “Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses. This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.” Marvel’s deals with various film companies will continue to be honored, however. For instance, 20th Century Fox will continue with the X-Men franchise while Sony Pictures Entertainment (aka Columbia Pictures) will keep Spider-Man.
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wtf stan lee. how cud u do this
No,no,no,no,no, I can’t be reading this. I’m going to have to research this more and weigh the pros and cons but from what I’m seeing initially this is horrible.
Maybe Bambi and Iron Man will do a movie together.
Good for you Stan Lee. We get into business to make money. He wanted it for the fans, it would be a hobby level enterprise. Big pay-off. Now Stan and family can buy that island nation in the Carribean.
LMAO Carol, that would be epic!
GOD NO….DISNEY?!?!? Wolverine will be subjected to only being allowed to use his claws to open his can of “rootbeer”…why?!?! why would they do this…
Does this mean Universal Island of adventure will lose all his Marvel section, changing the name of rides such as Spider-Man and Hulk? Talk about putting the competition in trouble.
I think it is a terrible idea, Marvel is a dark and gothic comic franchise and they are already way off course on the transformation into the movies. Get ready for the Fantastic Four to be considered one of the more dark superhero movies, I dont care if there trying to teach a younger audience there messing it up for the people who made these characters icons to begin with. Ages 24 to 34 in my opinion is where they get there money so start making the movies rated R and show how these characters were meant to be portrayed!
Can’t wait to see the crossover story lines. I think Mickey will bitchslap Wolverine with those big white mitts of his. ;p
– If this goes through, it’ll eventually mean DC’s darker items will become more “real” and more interesting by default. Welcome back to the 60’s, and I don’t mean that in a good way.
Maybe even the 50’s (ouch!). I agree with Earl 101 nathan, and Andrew Boyd: This looks like bad news for all fans of Marvel graphic arts works. Preserve current and older material as best you can fans. If this happens, what comes down the pipe in the future could get very tepid indeed.
some of the worst news. I guess that means no more punisher or daredevil or any other marvel comic that deals with darker elements to it, to violent to even be considered by disany. This blows, I’d hate to see a marvel movie that has the words disany attacted to it. They have already taken prince of persia and are making it into what sounds like a kids movie. This is a sad, sad, day for comic fan’s everywhere. I think disany will only destroy the name marvel has built!
Epic Failure !!! Whomp whomp.. With Disney attached to the comics and the movies, everything will change drastically to make it more “child friendly”. X-Men /Hulk/Spider Man/ The Avengers, and everyone will be subject to Singing songs about their feelings during the movies. No one wants to see Captain America sing about how he feels. This is a disaster. Basically the end of all man kind starts here
This has happened before. The Muppets was sold to The Disney Company, and Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Rowlf are doing just fine, thankyouverymuch. And then eerily enough, Jim Henson died.
Stan Lee may not be the CEO of Marvel Entertainment, but he is one of the founding fathers that are still alive. I have it under good authority that Stan still has some power at Marvel. But Stan “The Man” Lee is getting on in his years. Some of you may think that Stan may be making a big mistake, but Disney’s comic-book history is just as creative, exciting and fun as Marvel’s is. Just think of Carl Barks’ Duckburg tales with Donald, his nephews and his Uncle Scrooge – those made excellent reading on a rainy summer day or a lazy Sunday.
I dunno, but if Marvel had to be sold to someone, it had best be sold to Disney. Now all they need is a very tough creative (such as John Lasseter) to ensure that gems like Toy Story and WALL-e don’t get spun into mediocre home video crap like the Lion King franchise did.
The Punisher will now dish out hugs and kisses – not sure how to feel about this.
marvel zombies would look good all over mickey and goofy
Okay, the truth of the matter is, there is risk of having our favourite characters toned down. But Disney is in it for money, you probably won’t even see the logo, this stuff becomes faceless. Disney itself already controls a huge amount of media, I have always found it dangerous for so much influence (especially on kids) to be up to so few. Unfortunately there’s very little anybody can really do, except make people richer.
Well, if the shareholders feel the same as the people posting on here, this deal won’t go through anyway, so there is still hope!
The muppets where already kid friendly. Not all marvel characters of marvel are.Disany was a bad choice, and now we are all doomed to kid friendly marevel movies till the marvel company goes up for sale once agene.
It might not be so bad, and there could be some riders in the deal about maintaining certain levels of “Marvelism”.
I’m just wondering where the spelling and grammar police are! 😉
oh nancy, all ways has something to say about anything she find wrong in a response. This is not I spy the mispelled word. Use your commen sence when you come to that misspelled word. your remarks are not funny or in anyway clever! No one really care, except a hand full of people for misspelled words here. Anyway, I think disany buying the marvel company is horrible. I grew up with those comics and would hate to see the films ruined buy a family friendly corrpuration.Aimed at profrting off of little kids parents with there over priced merchidise. I for one will boycott any disany presents(which ever marvel charachter they use). Not all or marvel is kid friendly, alot and alot of the good stuff is much much to dark for disany, and I know they would never try to takle a project like the punisher, daredevil, ghost rider, blade, and any other marvel comic that uses blood and gore to the extreme.
PS.have fun finding all my mistakes nancy!
Once again..The beginning of the end for all mankind !! Disney is just in it for the profit to target young males. Disney basically stated that 100% of their shows, movies, etc… target the young/teen female population. With Disney buying out Marvel, now they have something toss in the mix for young males. But like it has been said 100 times before,say goodbye to the 100’s of darker characters that have come out in the day. It would have better for Marvel too sell to another company who would keep their orginals the way they are…such as DC comics. I guess when it comes down to it, its all about the bling bling.
A sad day for all comic book fans. The fact that Marvel, a strong force on its own, would join the likes of Disney is a shame and a sell out move.
Brainchild (or should I call you ‘beast’? haha): I’m not the one who always has something to say about others spelling on this website….that’s Jo-WAnne’s job. Hence my above comment:
“I’m just wondering where the spelling and grammar police are!” And don’t forget my sarcastic little grin ” 😉 “
»Very INTERESTING news,indeed!!! 🙂 DISNEY ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aah!!!
I’d play a Disney vs Marvel video game.
Actually it just might work out, we can all hope. Disney and Marvel have been around for a long time, I think they know what they are doing.